India has broken a 41-year medal drought in Olympic men's hockey with a bronze in Tokyo three years ago, triggering hopes for a ninth gold medal in Paris. The majority of India's titles were won in a different era, when the game was played on grass pitches, often after soccer matches. The age of the fast, flat astroturf has been dominated by Germany, with the Netherlands, Britain, Australia, Argentina, and most recently, Belgium topping the podium.
